(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which permits a user to form images by inputting a code identifying the section to which the user belongs, making it easy to monitor how many copies have made by each section.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
An image forming apparatus, in particular a copying machine, is often shared by users who belong to different sections of an organization such as a firm.
In such case, the number of copies made by each section to which users belong is stored and monitored. When a user makes copies, the copying machine judges whether the user belongs to a preregistered section by referring to code numbers which are exclusively assigned to each section and are stored beforehand in a memory as a table with the code numbers corresponding with section numbers and addresses.
If a code number inputted from a control panel is a code number registered in the table, the user is judged to belong to the section corresponding with the inputted code number and is permitted to make copies. The total number of copies made by the user is then added to the number stored in a memory area assigned to the section and is monitored as necessary.
The inputted code number is generally displayed as coded characters on a liquid crystal display in a control panel to prevent outsiders from seeing the code number. If copies are made by inputting a code number as described above, the reliability of the monitoring of the number of copies made by each section can be ensured.
To ensure reliability, it is normal to have all of the digits in a code number inputted. However, when a section number assigned to a section is directly used as the code number, it can be very troublesome for users to input all of the digits assigned to code numbers regardless of the number of digits in the section number. Also, there can be cases where section numbers are known publicly and so do not need to be kept confidential, with it then being desirable to display the input result on a display to enable users to judge whether the input operation is correct.
For instance, when a section with section number "1" uses its section number as its code number and the code numbers are all four-digit numbers, "0001" needs to be inputted.
When a number which is easily inputted incorrectly-"3098", for instance-is assigned as the section number and is used as the code number, it is desirable to confirm on the display whether "3098" has been inputted correctly or whether an incorrect input, such as "3089", has been made. However, this confirmation cannot be performed when the number is inputted as a code number.